Page 14 - LRCC December 2024 Focus

Jane Mitchell

2024 ATHENA LEADERSHIP

AWARD RECIPIENT

Entrepreneur Bolsters Brands

and Community

By Jennifer McEntee

Jane Mitchell was a PowerLink recipient – and through education, earning
her Master of Advertising Specialties in 2014 by
hairstylist with a library completing more than 200 hours of training.
card in the early 1990s. Today, Jungle Jane Promotions works with businesses

and organizations throughout the Greater Lansing
With two school-aged children, she wanted to shift region to create award plaques, trade show tote
careers to avoid working nights and weekends. bags, logoed t-shirts, drinkware, and office supplies,
So Mitchell went to the library and studied among other products. She’s brought her son and
Entrepreneur Magazine booklets about starting son-in-law into the business with an eye toward
a home-based business. succession planning.
“I just flipped through the pages until I found
something that sounded interesting,” Mitchell said.

With help from the Small Business Development
Center in Lansing, Mitchell created a business plan
for the 1994 launch of Cards 4 You, in which she
sent thank-you notes and holiday cards on behalf of
corporate clients.

“At the height of my card-sending business, I was
sending about 20,000 to 30,000 Christmas cards for
other businesses every year and about 900 thank-you
cards a month,” Mitchell recalled.

The business evolved as clients asked to send
chocolates and other promotional items with their
greeting cards. Her branded merchandise became
more popular, so Mitchell changed the name to Tarzan
Promotions in 1998. After a cease-and-desist letter from
the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ estate alleging “Tarzan”
trademark infringement, the business name swung to
Jungle Jane Promotions in 2011.

Mitchell continued to grow Jungle Jane Promotions
by seeking out mentors – she was the 2012 ATHENA

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